Chicagoans who can work from home or use vacation days may be taking notes from bears. Hibernating in the winter makes sense. Hibernating during a snowstorm followed by a temperature of 13 degrees below zero (wind chill factor 37 degrees below zero) is pretty obvious.

(Shamontiel L. Vaughn)

But with Chicagoans hiding out and sitting close to a refrigerator, it's too easy to discard New Year's resolutions of losing weight and eating healthier. The cakes, pies and cookies from Christmas haven't been eaten yet, and you may have received even more goodies as Christmas gifts. And who doesn't deserve a treat after shoveling all that snow? Trying to eat them in portions is a good idea, but while you're already hanging out at home, why not try vegan or vegetarian versions of your favorite sweets?

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Shamontiel has always been interested in a vegetarian lifestyle since her childhood days of watching a friend eat meatless spaghetti. She slowly started pushing meat to the side in elementary and high school, but it wasn't until college when she bought all of her own groceries that she stopped eating meat altogether. After writing her first novel, "Change for a Twenty" and including a main character who was a vegetarian, a PETA representative contacted her. Teaming up to talk with a PETA rep who focused on hip-hop's influence on vegetarianism made Shamontiel's interest go from not eating meat for taste reasons to not eating meat for moral reasons. She is a 10-year vegetarian and tries her bust to support animal-friendly products. For feedback or press queries, contact her at Shamontiel.com.